


just keep losing my beat

by euphrasiepontmercy



Category: Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (TV)
Genre: Gen, I FINALLY FOUND A WAY TO FIT TORI INTO S2, Songfic, massive speculation based on one promo, which will of course be disproved the second that s2e7 airs but yknow what it's fine, zoey has A Long NightTM
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:28:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29891505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/euphrasiepontmercy/pseuds/euphrasiepontmercy
Summary: zoey finds out quite a bit of information at the opening of maximo's. certain events transpire in a certain order and how do you write a summary. title and lyrics from "somebody to love" by queen
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6





	just keep losing my beat

**Author's Note:**

> a heck of a lot of this comes from discord speculation and headcanons-That One ShotTM of the bench happens before this fic in my mind so don't worry, I haven't forgotten about it. also idk what the apparent dance number with max and mo will be but I’m so excited for it. this lowkey happens in an altered version of the jumpstarted universe; there's something there but We'll Figure It Out Later (we being me, it's literally my own oc, why does she have three different existences in my head? who knows) anyway I'm rambling enjoy the fic

Resplendent.

That was the only word to describe it. The second that a person stepped into the newly opened Maximo’s, every one of their senses was taken hold of by lush murals, music, and food that came from every corner. Zoey had been in the building multiple times during its various stages of progress, but as she walked through the door on its opening night, the full aesthetic of the place really hit her for the first time, and her eyes widened with pride for her friends.

“So…”

Zoey grinned at the sound of the familiar voice and turned to see a beaming Max at her side, happier than he’d ever been. Although she couldn’t keep her gaze in one place, fully taken in by the spectacle of the restaurant, she was struck by the new sense of accomplishment in his demeanor. He seemed more at peace, more sure.

Also,  _ the place was freaking gorgeous. _

“How exciting is this?”

“What do you think of it?”

Trying to hide her smile, she tapped her chin and looked around suspiciously.

“Not bad at all. In fact, I’d almost say…”

The door burst open behind them, and a few coders came through, greeting their boss and clapping Max on the back in congratulation. Zoey watched as his brown eyes grew more and more bewildered; he was still getting used to being fully accepted by those who were now his former coworkers, and it was strangely heartwarming to see. She made eye contact with him and smiled.

“I’m gonna try to find Mo.”

Met with a nod, she turned and started to make her way through the sea of customers. It wasn’t difficult to spot her neighbor among them; the pop of pink in Mo’s ensemble of choice for the night was impossible to miss. As he made the rounds, Mo seemed completely in his element, chatting up customers and fitting perfectly into every conversation. Zoey almost felt intimidated around people this... _ cool;  _ almost everyone had an eclectic outfit and a vibe of self-assuredness that she herself was very much a stranger to.

_ Tori would love these people. _

_...Wait, wasn’t she supposed to be here? _

Having heard years of stories about the neighbor across the hall, Zoey’s younger cousin was really looking forward to meeting him, so she’d jumped at the opportunity to come to the restaurant’s opening, seeing as it wasn’t too far away from the karaoke bar where she had been working in between auditions. (Yes, it was  _ that  _ karaoke bar, and when asked her thoughts on what transpired on the fateful night of Air Supply, she’d been strangely secretive besides the scoffed-at observation that the singer had a genuinely good voice.) It had been agreed that Victoria would take a shift that ended in time for her to make it to the opening. After work, she’d bike over to the restaurant and meet Zoey at the door in…

_...approximately five minutes. _

Zoey left the party and stood in the slightly chilled air for far longer than those five minutes, growing annoyed. There had been only one bicycle leaning against the wall of exposed brick, and it certainly wasn’t Victoria’s; after five years in the SPRQpoint office, Zoey knew this for sure. She fumbled her phone out of her pocket and was about to call her cousin when she heard the creak of the back door opening around the corner, followed by distinct voices.

“Here, why don’t we-if we can-”

“But why do we have to-”

“He’s already found out, we don’t need more people-”

“There’s no reason for people not to hear this-”

“Are you kidding?”

This was... 

_ Mackenzie and Tobin. _

A few moments of strained silence passed before the door opened again.

“Okay, is someone going to tell me what’s going on here?”

_ Leif. _

His entrance only caused the tension in the absence of sound to rise. Thanks to the light that hung over the back door, Zoey could see the three shadows projected onto the wall in front of her; Mackenzie had nodded toward Tobin, who looked at Leif, opened his mouth, and abruptly closed it when nothing came out. Mackenzie dragged her hand down her face and sighed.

“Look,” she said, “Leif, you have eyes.”

Silence.

“I do, in fact, have eyes.”

“You have working, functional, blue eyes.”

“You’ve got nice eyes, dude,” Tobin assured him, and Mackenzie nodded.

“...Thanks.”

After Leif’s barely-spoken word, a few more seconds awkwardly passed before Tobin became fed up.

“So you saw. And neither of us have half a clue what’s happening, or how it started happening, or-”

“Don’t need any more details. I walked in on my friends kissing in a hallway, it happens all the time,” Leif said, his voice involuntarily cracking with discomfort by the end of the sentence. “I’m happy for you guys.”

“Oh, there’s-”

“There’s nothing to be happy about.”

Tobin had said this with a perfectly serious expression before realizing what he’d said, clearly only meaning to say that they weren’t officially dating, but he broke down laughing when Mackenzie looked at him with a glint of mirth in her eye.

At least, that’s what Zoey imagined. Given that there were only shadows, she couldn’t really see anyone’s eyes.

_ This is definitely just eavesdropping at this point. _

_ I should go back inside. _

As long as this power was already forcing her to see into people’s private affairs, she’d try as hard as she could not to butt into her friends’ lives. This was certainly an  _ interesting  _ development, and Zoey was morbidly curious to find out what songs would come of it. She circled the building to get to the front door, resolving to call Victoria, find out what was wrong, and put aside what she’d just heard for the time being.

_ But first, a drink. _

As she plunked herself onto a barstool, she saw Mo come behind the counter, simply glowing, and perked up to congratulate her friend.

“Mo, this place is  _ incredible.” _

He smiled down at the redhead and began to prepare a Mo-garita, at which point Zoey tilted her head in surprise.

“Friends and family discount?”

“Oh, no, honey,” Mo said as he placed the drink on the bar, “you just looked like you wanted one. We still need the cash.”

Zoey grinned as she took a sip of her drink, and Mo looked around at the restaurant before determining that he had a moment to spare and gesturing to ask for the story that he was sure Zoey held.

“What?”

“You only drink like that when you’re trying not to think about something. What was the song this time?”

“It wasn’t a song, actually. I was standing outside waiting for Tori-my cousin, who I’ve told you about, who I also have to check up on-she was supposed to be here and that has me worried-anyway-”

She shook herself out of her spinning brain and leaned in to confide in Mo, but her eye was caught by the back door opening and Leif walking through it. Zoey looked back toward Mo for a moment, and he nodded. It was understood with just a glance that what was happening was one of the reasons why the ginger was currently downing her Mo-garita like there was no tomorrow.

Zoey left the bar and made her way to the door as casually as humanly possible. As it swung closed, she caught a glimpse of the two now left outside laughing- _ really _ laughing, laughing in the way that takes hold of one’s whole body and causes every other thought to disappear.

So there  _ was  _ a spark.

_ Huh. _

“I never would have thought.”

Zoey almost jumped at the sound of the voice behind her, turned around, and practically had to crane her neck up to look its owner in the eye.

“I mean, if I didn’t know him, I never would have thought. The truth is, he wouldn’t shut up about her since the first day they came to the fourth floor,” Leif remembered with a laugh. “It took him a while to realize that it was more of a crush than hatred. I just didn’t think she’d feel the same way.”

They looked out the window, Zoey’s initial guilt caused by her eavesdropping now shared. It was clear that, no matter how much it was denied, there was something  _ real _ between the programmers on the bench. The glint that Zoey had thought to be in Mackenzie’s eye was confirmed now; she was smiling with her whole being, absentmindedly twirling a string on Tobin’s hoodie as they talked, and he was looking at her as if he couldn’t quite believe his eyes. It was a sight that the managers had never expected to see, and Zoey turned to Leif to gauge his reaction.

“I guess she does.”

He nodded, forcing himself to turn away from the window. Zoey looked at him, searching his expression, and wasn’t quite able to decipher what she found; he did seem to be genuinely happy for them, but there was something  _ else _ there, something she couldn’t fully put together.

_ You know, universe, now might be a great time for- _

_ “Can…” _

_ -that. Now would be a good time for that. _

This was one of the rare heartsongs that Zoey already knew; it was impossible to be friends with Max Richman for five years and not know at least a few Queen songs.

_ “...anybody…” _

Leif’s voice floated across the notes as if he was born to sing them, and as the song took hold, a few partygoers joined him in an a capella choir.

_ “...find me...” _

Despite her best efforts, a chill ran down Zoey’s spine. The emotion behind the song was clear from the first line, so it wouldn’t take much analysis and she could try to allow herself to enjoy the performance-

_ “...somebody to love?” _

Time stood still for a moment. Leif stood close to the window, gazing out of it with a lifted arm. In the utter silence following the first line, he slowly looked toward his raised hand; when he dropped it, causing the piano accompaniment to begin, it was as if he’d cast and broken a spell at the same time.

_ This is gonna be  _ **_good._ **

The scattered customers that had made up the backup choir started to stand, their faces all mirroring the yearning in Leif’s tone as he riffed into the first verse.

_ “Oh, each morning I get up, I die a little. Can barely stand on my feet!” _

He staggered backwards into the center of the open space in the restaurant as those in the choir started to sway to the beat, gripping the chairs that sat around them as if holding on for dear life.

_ “Take a look in the mirror and cry-Lord, what you’re doin’ to me.” _

Zoey slowly circled the area, letting herself be completely overtaken by the song. She’d heard it a few times, but she’d never really listened to the lyrics, and this was the first time that she was confronted by the pain that lay deep in them. Leif was looking to the sky as he called upward, raw and real and meaning every word he sang.

_ “I’ve spent all my years in believing you, but I just can’t get no relief, Lord! Somebody-oh, somebody-” _

Zoey’s trajectory had led her close to the outside of what was now a circle around Leif, and she stood breathless, watching him push and pull the air as those around him reached desperately in every direction. The vibration of her phone in her pocket almost brought her back to reality; startled, she took a breath and answered her cousin’s call as the heartsong continued into the chorus and second verse.

“Tori, where are you? Is everything okay?”

“I am so sorry, I’m on my way. It’s just-it’s my roommate-she had another-Zoey, she needed me.”

“Victoria, listen to me,” Zoey sighed. The younger woman’s voice sounded exhausted; the usual vivacity in it seemed to have been drained somehow, and her cousin knew exactly why-it had everything to do with the girl she’d shared an apartment with for the past year. “You can move out. Grace is completely toxic. You’ve told me about her, and I know I don’t exactly have a track record for being emotionally intelligent, but lately it’s become even more clear that she’s using you.”

“I know, I know,” came the voice from the phone. “She only sees me as her therapist, she’s taking advantage of that to dump every bit of self-caused drama in her life on me, I know. I can see it, but I don’t know what to do about it-if she really is hurting, and I walk out on her, whatever happens to her could be my fault.” Her voice was cracking as she started to break under the pressure; it was clear that she was admitting these fears for the first time, and Zoey couldn’t take much more of it.

“She has never been your friend. Just-we’ll talk about this soon, you’ll meet my coworkers tonight and I’m sure you’ll get along well with them.”

“Yeah,” Victoria said, trying to breathe through the lump in her throat.

A few moments of static passed, and Zoey could still hear the song going on; by now, Leif was at its bridge, singing with his entire soul. Her brain was spinning with the two simultaneous outbursts of emotion that were coming at her; even though her cousin’s shaky breaths were somehow synced with the beat of the song as Leif held out a high note, it was still overwhelming to hear both of them at once.

That is, it was until the breathing on the other end of the line stopped for a moment.

“...Tori?”

Silence.

Victoria’s voice came after a few seconds, suddenly soft and deadly serious.

“Who is that?”

Zoey looked around, confused.

_ She couldn’t be hearing this, right? _

“Who’s what?”

“Who’s singing? Is there karaoke at the restaurant?”

“Um-I mean, there was a few weeks ago, but not tonight-no one’s-”

_ Impossible. _

“What is it exactly that you’re hearing?”

The song continued, and  _ “but everybody tries to put me down”  _ was graced with a flawless growl. Zoey heard her cousin suck in a breath.

“Whoever this is is absolutely  _ killing it _ on ‘Somebody to Love’. He sounds,” there was a pause, and Zoey held her breath through the static,  _ “...familiar _ somehow.”

Zoey’s mouth dropped open slightly.

“It’s really such a good song, and way too relatable for me right now-”

“Victoria?”

“Yeah?”

“When you get here...I mean, after the party...there’s something that I really need to tell you about.”

“Of course” was the reply, and there was a note of concern in her voice  _ (a completely valid one, _ Zoey thought,  _ given how ominous that sentence is.) _

“Just, uh-stay on the line until you see the restaurant, will you?”

“...Okay?”

_ Just stick with me here, Tori. I’ve taken in far too many new developments tonight already. My coworkers are now half-dating, my cousin apparently has a bit of my power that’s somehow transferable over phone lines, and Leif is- _

_ “I’m okay, I’m alright.” _

He appeared to be neither okay nor alright.

_ “I ain’t gonna face no defeat!” _

He had fallen to his knees by now- _ can this man even do a full heartsong standing up, come on _ -and, although the choir was backing him up vocally, they were all wrapped up in the pain in their own minds, just as he was.

He was completely alone.

_ “I’ve just gotta get out of this prison cell...” _

_...wait a minute. _

The disembodied voice that was suddenly next to him- _ not alone after all, I guess _ -was one that Zoey knew well after years of musicals and concerts. She looked down at her phone and up into the fray, back and forth, almost comically.

_...I never knew this was possible. _

_ “Someday I’m gonna be free, Lord!” _

Her cousin’s clear-as-day soprano voice had taken a higher harmony and thrown itself into the mix of the choir, and it was filled with just as much desperation as that of the soloist. Something  _ clicked _ in their voices, and they held onto the note for what seemed like an eternity. Once it was let go, time stopped once more before Mo came in with the beginning of the canon, causing Zoey to startle and turn around.

_ “Find me somebody to love, find me somebody to love.” _

One by one, slowly but surely, most of the people in the restaurant joined in. Mo, Simon, Tatiana, even Max, and dozens of other customers added their voices to the mix as Leif belted riff after riff over them and Victoria floated above from nowhere. The ostinato gradually built, gaining power and volume as it seemed to close in around Zoey, who was now pushed toward the center. At this point, every singer was looking straight at her, practically begging; it provided a rude flashback to the first song she’d heard, but seemed to be even more raw and heartful. There was nothing peppy or cute about this, but it was  _ art;  _ the people around her were pulled into movement not by some pre-choreographed fate, but by messy emotion, and their dance was somehow graceful and wild at the same time.

They moved closer in, almost swarming around her from every side of the restaurant. Leif was directly in front of her by now, grabbing her hands desperately and crouching to look her in the eye.

_ “Somebody find me, somebody find me somebody to love!” _

Zoey squeezed her eyes shut, unable to take it, but this made her cousin’s voice all the more prominent. It now seemed to come from behind her, echoing madly in her head, getting louder and more desperate by the second. The invisible guitar was blaring, the beat was pounding, and the voices just kept coming-

_ “Can anybody find me…” _

It stopped.

There was a blessed pause as Leif and the choir slowly stepped back from Zoey. He was now once again the only one singing, and his voice glided seamlessly into falsetto.

_ “...somebody to love?” _

Zoey heard a soft  _ “oh, my God”  _ from her phone in reaction to that final riff, proving that her cousin wasn’t aware that she’d somehow participated in the heartsong. The song didn’t end as it usually did; a soft chord rippled out, and the people that had made up the choir were now back in the individual positions they’d taken before it started, chatting as if nothing had happened. As Leif dropped off of the last note, he stumbled backwards and back into reality, still looking toward the door with a melancholy bittersweetness.

_ It’s over. _

_ Just breathe. _

After standing struck for a few moments, Zoey pulled herself together enough to make her way outside that same door, where Tobin and Mackenzie were still sitting on that same bench. Zoey looked at them for a moment, and a few moments of silence transpired before she gave an awkward wave and a smile that she hoped looked casual enough, descended the few stone stairs, and walked down the alley, feeling their deep eyes still looking after her. The couple of seconds that followed as she waited for Victoria felt unbearable, and she finally hung up the phone once she heard that the absentminded humming and soft whir of the bicycle on the other side of the line was now in her own earshot.

Making her first entrance, Victoria turned the corner and smoothly hopped off of her bike, taking in the outside of the building for the first time with wide eyes.

“If you think it’s that impressive already, you’re in for a real treat once you get inside.”

The younger woman laughed and looked down at her cousin.

“I just love the exposed brick. It’s a gorgeous aesthetic already,” she said, putting her hands in the pockets of her jacket and admiring the wall- _ of course she’s the type to admire a wall _ -”and if this neighbor’s art skills are anything like you’ve told me, I  _ cannot wait _ to see what the inside looks like.”

She turned to Zoey with a smile, and the other two that were sitting outside finally caught her eye.

“Who’s this?”

Zoey turned at the sound of Mackenzie’s voice and squared her shoulders.

_ Invite people to parties where you’re one of the only people they know, they said. It’ll be fun, they said. _

“My cousin. I thought she’d really like this place and to meet all of you, so I told her about the opening.”

“I’m Victoria,” she said, awkwardly offering a handshake which Mackenzie took with an assured smile. The girl’s hazel eyes widened immediately, proving Zoey’s thought that Tori would find these people  _ cool. _

Tobin (who very obviously had his arm around the woman next to him,  _ we’re dealing with this later, Zoey, it’s fine _ ) was looking between the two gingers, biting back a laugh that Zoey was sure had to do with their height difference-Victoria was Joan’s height, often causing people to think she was older than her cousin, much to Zoey’s begrudging dismay-but he smiled at her just the same before turning back to Mackenzie.

Zoey put a hand on Victoria’s shoulder, and she turned, really meeting her cousin’s eyes for the first time that night.

“Are you okay?”

Her eyes darted a bit before remembering what was being referred to. Zoey wasn’t surprised; the girl was prone to distracting herself in order to be strong for others, and if she couldn’t solve a problem, she often tried to forget it. The blue eyes facing Victoria were an anchor to her, though, and she took a breath.

“Yes. This might just be a crazy impulse decision, but I’m going to ride its high for as long as possible-I’m moving out.”

Zoey smiled proudly and hugged her cousin, assuring her that the decision was a long time coming and that she was always available in case the younger woman needed somewhere to stay until she found a new apartment. She was met with a look of genuine gratitude, and her shoulders relaxed; it was a relief to finally be in the presence of the one person she could read before the powers changed everything.

“Well, there’s still a lot of time left in the party. I am…”

A chill ran through the air, and Zoey glanced around at the faces that were now all three turned toward her.

“...getting a drink. Mo’s come up with quite a few custom drinks, and they’re  _ highly  _ recommended. You, um,” she addressed her cousin, “you should get to know some people. It’s been a long night, and I will be...at the bar...if you need me.”

Victoria nodded with a sympathetic smile and tried to lean nonchalantly against the brick wall to strike up a conversation. Zoey turned to go up the stairs; just as the door was about to close behind her, she heard a crash of metal and quickly whipped her head around again, going right back down.

The taller woman was now somewhat sprawled on the ground, her attempt to be cool having backfired completely. One of the bicycles had come down with her, and she worked herself out from under it before brushing herself off.

“So much for a first impression.”

“If I didn’t already know that you were related to Zoey, this would be the confirmation,” Tobin said, trying and failing to hold back a laugh as Mackenzie swatted his shoulder.

“I’m fine, I just hope I haven’t ruined my bike,” Victoria said as she inspected it. A few seconds passed before she came to a realization: “...this is not my bike.”

“Yeah, yours is behind you.”

“Very helpful,” came Mackenzie’s sarcastic reply.

“What?  _ What?” _

Tobin was grinning almost maniacally. Zoey could see the gears turning behind his eyes; he looked like he was taking in each passing second as if it were part of a sitcom that he was trying to predict the ending of.

“Thank God there’s someone else,” Victoria laughed as she brushed her fingers through her hair. “I had started to think I was the only one in the city who didn’t drive that often.”

“Don’t worry, you’re definitely not,” Mackenzie said frankly. “The owner of that bike is especially hopeless at it.”

“Oh, do you know them?”

Tobin nodded. His middle-school-ish smile grew as he considered what to tell about his best friend, and Zoey tried to find any alternate explanation for it besides the obvious:  _ Tobin’s just being Tobin, he knows Leif well, he’s trying to be a good friend-nothing will come of it, nothing will come of it- _

She felt a brush against her shoulder and paid no attention to it.

_ The bikes, the song choice, the non-duet-duet that harmonized far too well for my liking-okay, universe, your signs won’t influence anything this time. There’s no way I’m letting her get hurt. _

_ (but he was the heartbroken one in his last relationship-) _

_ SHUT UP, RATIONAL BRAIN. It’s my divine right as the older cousin to be protective. _

_...at least that’s how I think divine rights work... _

As Zoey attempted to work through her thoughts, they were interrupted by Mackenzie, who seemed thoroughly amused. The earlier brush against her shoulder now made quite a bit more sense once Zoey realized that someone else had entered the alley.

“Speak of the devil…”

_ Damnit. _

Zoey once again had to crane up her neck to look the new arrival in the eye. Helmet in hand, apparently about to leave the party, Leif looked with confusion toward the stranger who was standing beside his bicycle and still looking for any potential damage she’d done.

“I hope I didn’t break anythi-oh, hi.”

As Victoria turned away from the bike, her voice cracked approximately two octaves above its normal register.

There was no heartsong needed for Zoey to read the expression that had immediately taken hold of her cousin’s face.

_ DAMNIT. _

_ “This _ is the owner of the bike,” Tobin said gleefully, “the best coder at SPRQpoint, my man, the tall, smart, and handsome Leif Donnelly.”

Leif gave a small smile, but his eyebrows furrowed with a slight blush; brilliant as he was, he was apparently completely oblivious as to why Tobin was talking him up. As his eyes darted between the others in the alley,  _ not at all always finding their way back to your cousin, Zoey, you’re imagining things,  _ he seemed about to ask for an explanation, but it turned out that he didn’t have to say anything before Victoria stepped forward.

“I, um...I’m Victoria Clarke, Zoey’s cousin, and I’m very sorry for accidentally knocking over your bike,” she said, awkwardly offering a handshake that was accepted just as awkwardly.

“Well, I am...equally sorry for having a bike that looks like your bike.”

_ This from the man with a big enough vocabulary to have won a national spelling bee. _

Tobin and his application for wingman of the year obviously wouldn’t be any help in this situation, so Zoey looked to the other person on the bench, who immediately understood. Mackenzie nodded, stood up, and stepped between Victoria and Leif, taking both of their arms and leading them into the building.

“Actually, I was going to-”

“You  _ can _ leave, Cauleiflower, but do you really  _ want  _ to?”

Victoria’s head turned sharply toward Mackenzie in shock, but the other woman simply looked back at her with a smile as Leif tried to stutter out a sentence.

“I-”

“Don’t answer that. Just stick with us.”

Victoria was now the stammering one.

“Stick with-I mean, if he wants to go, he can-”

“You too, Queen Victoria.”

“What, so she’s a monarch and I get a vegetable?” Leif asked with an incredulous laugh. Mackenzie simply smiled, turning to face both of them.

“Oh, she and I only just met. The more I get to know someone, the more insulting my nicknames for them become. It’s the circle of life.”

Her younger cousin’s pealing laughter was the last sound that Zoey heard before the trio was out of earshot. Left outside, she sighed and plunked herself onto the bench, closing her eyes and leaning her head back against the wall. No, she hadn’t known Mackenzie for long, but she trusted her.

_ It’s not as if Victoria needs taking care of, anyway. She’s her own person, just a few years my junior, she’s an adult- _

_ Okay, brain, it’s been enough of a night. We’re not delving too deep into that right now. _

She felt a nudge against her side and opened her eyes begrudgingly to see Tobin still sitting next to her, also staring forward.

“What is it?”

He chuckled sympathetically at the tired tone in her voice.

“I just...got this feeling. You know?”

“About…”

“Your cousin. She picked herself up from under Leif’s bike and ran a hand through her hair, her other hand in her jacket pocket, and she...she looked like he did earlier tonight. Vibrant, but lonely.”

Surprised at how much thought he’d actually put into it, Zoey let her head fall to the side to look at him.

“I thought you were just trying to get your best friend a girlfriend and she was the closest option. I’m not going to let that happen to my cousin.”

“Oh, I know,” Tobin said sincerely. “I just...get the vibe that they’d be good together.”

Zoey sighed and collected her thoughts for what felt like the first time in hours.

“Maybe you’re right.”

“I usually am.”

“Or maybe you’re not.”

“Also liable to happen.”

She allowed herself to laugh along with him, and a few moments of strangely comfortable silence passed before he spoke again.

“We all just...need somebody to love, right? Like the song?”

She looked at him, slightly suspicious, and his expression grew somewhat confused.

“What?”

“Yeah,” she said slowly. A quiet smile grew across Tobin’s face, and they looked through the window at the party that buzzed with life inside.

Zoey took a deep breath, allowing herself to take in the air of the San Francisco night as it grew warmer.

“Like the song.”

**Author's Note:**

> THIS. WAS. SO. FUN. TO. WRITE. I just love these characters so much gahhhh-anyway let's see how many of my predictions come true, I need more than anything on earth to be part of this show. ok hope y'all 4-ish people that read this enjoyed, please let me know your thoughts <3


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